


Last Chance

by andyp_space



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DC Comics, Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Bart Allen (Mention) - Freeform, Billy Batson (Mention), Courtney Whitmore (Mention), Jaime Reyes (Mention), post apocalyptic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-18 10:15:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21509413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andyp_space/pseuds/andyp_space
Summary: In a post apocalyptic future, heroes have one last chance. Tim Drake had never felt more determined in his life.
Relationships: Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Jason Todd, Tim Drake/Cassie Sandsmark
Kudos: 15





	Last Chance

Once again, the most important cities on earth, and probably the rest too, are nothing more than ashes and mass destruction.

When you hear that, you probably think it is an invasion, a pandemic, anything except villains.  
Villains taken from the yoke of society. Villains who think that if they have absolute power, their complexes, conflicts and ridiculous disagreements will go away.

So they joined, of course, the only ones capable of dominating and destroying humanity are themselves.  
Now good guys have a last chance, and allowing yourself to spoil it is not a viable option.

Tim puts his hair under a hat, closes his sweatshirt and opens the drawer under the sink of his den. Take out all the jars that were still there and shake them, waiting for some to ring with pills.  
Great, in the small clonazepam boat you have a pill engraved with a smiley face in the background. Filled his hands with water and drank heavily.  
"Calm down," he thinks. "You've been planning this for weeks."

Eventually, he joins the others on the meeting they were having, to fix Tim's latest plan inconveniences, and thus end this once and for all.  
\- Babs and Tim checked that the system cannot be hacked from outside, so the team we have been organizing for this will infiltrate at their base. We have Tim and Jason as Alpha. Zatanna and Bart as Beta. Jaime and Cassie as Gamma. And finally, Courtney and Billy as Delta. - He almost wished he had ignored Dick's voice when he started to name them.

He is not even paying attention for when he finishes speaking. Instead, he starts putting in his backpack all the things will need when they are inside.  
He hasn't had coffee in days, so his bad mood is probably due to caffeine withdrawal. Also to the lack of medication, but he has been avoiding that for longer than he would like.

When he closes his backpack, he feels that a heavy hand is positioned on his shoulder. Oh. Here comes that big brother talk. In case he doesn't come back.  
\- Hey kid, I noticed that you were something distracted on the reunion. Are you okay?  
\- I've been better, clearly.  
\- I just hope you know, we trust you for this. There is no one better than you who can do it.

Tim squeezes his hands for inertia, looking miserably at the floor. Which does not quite convince Dick, since Tim always faced things.  
\- I wanted to be the best - He said, making Dick focus his eyes on him - That was easy for me, you know? I was the best in class, in sports, I was good with technology... When I wasn't automatically the best at something, It hit me hard, because I had a standard to maintain.

\- That is a hellish standard to impose.  
\- As if you could speak about it - That probably sounded less abrupt in Tim's mind, anyway, he told him.  
\- I can speak. Because I understand  
\- Of course. Because the golden boy was always better than me, and ...  
\- Older than you - Dick cuts it while he spoke - With more years of experience and a set of different skills that were given to me by the sheer possibility of my education. I know it's hard to believe, but you don't have second place, Tim. Or third. Or fourth. Do you want to know why we are so great when we fight together? Because we are different and you have strengths where I don't.

Tim must have seemed doubtful, because Dick tried hard to continue.

\- You say I'm a better acrobat? Yes, I probably am. But do you know what that means? You are better at strategies to avoid conflicts than me. You are also a better detective, and that was my literal job before all this. Do not think that I didn't notice when you snoop in my cases and solve them in less time and so effective. And don't believe I'm not madly jealous of your technical knowledge. I thought i was the great shit with my hacker skills, but you humiliate me.

Finally, Tim looks him straight in the eyes. He probably had a lot of differences with Dick. Many times. But at the end of the day, he was still his brother, and he couldn't have felt more grateful for that fact than right now.  
A genuine smile appears on his face. Was that a farewell? He would like to think not.

Dick, on the other hand, is relieved that Tim's smile reaches his eyes. It had been a long time since he last seen him like this. Just a boy with so much motivation to be a hero, delivering so much for a city that he would definitely never return the favor.

\- Hey, Dick?  
\- Yeah, kiddo?  
\- Thank you for this. I really needed it.  
\- I just want you to know how valuable you are. We do not need any more losses here ... The amount of family, friends and allies that we have lost, became an account with red numbers. They are going to pay. From the public unmasking of Bruce... to Cass.  
\- And Steph, Cissie, Luke, Barry, Donna, Hal, Conner. Today we will win. For us and for them, because their sacrifice will not be in vain.  
\- Woah, I still don't get used to seeing how much you've grown.  
\- I grew up, that tends to happen. You've been a good brother, Dick. Thank you for everything you could have taught me, for being my family.

When Tim wants to leave, Dick wraps him in a tight and comforting hug. Tim decides to appreciate it, not sure what will happen next.

He was so upset when Dick snatched Robin. He took something that cost him to obtain and gave it to Damian.  
Eventually, he overcame that. Like most bad things that happened to him.

But why does no one ever mention the good things in Tim's life?  
Cassie was one of them. Probably the best. So now, right at the exit of the base, he is making this bad farewell attempt for her.  
\- Hey.  
\- Hey, you, stranger.  
Tim wishes he wasn't wearing a domino mask right now. Although no one is wearing the striking kevlar costumes they used to wear, protecting their identity remains one of the most important and priority things. Either way, he thinks that if he wasn't wearing the mask, he wouldn't be able to keep his gaze on her. Looking at her is like dawn.

\- Cassie ... I need to say this. Before I have to do all that work, I need ... - Take a deep breath. He doesn't like the way this feels, but he gives himself the opportunity to level his words - Thank you, Cassie. For all. I- I could never have imagined that you would mean so much, that you would do so much. I wish ... I wish we had more than this. I spent so much time fucking my life ... I made so many stupid and bad mistakes, but you ... - He shakes his head biting his lip, he thinks that if he does it harder, he'll start bleeding - I just wanted to thank you for being ... For being the only thing in this life that I really understood well. You are my dream, Cassie. Everything about you. You are everything I always wanted and if this is really - There is a cut there, you don't have the guts to say the word - I am so happy to have had this life with you. I am grateful for every second we share.

Cassie hugs him so tightly that he surely squeezed his lungs a little, but he doesn't care much, really. They share a soft kiss after that. Because although she says they will see each other again in a few hours, Tim can't promise anything.

After a while, when they arrive at their destination, the enemy's base, quite modern, unlike what he intended to find, the pairs are separated, each with a different objective.  
Jason and he talk all the way. In an attempt to make the tension a bit more discreet.

Tim's work is simple. Reorder and create a new code for the system with which they operated, so that the Resistance has the total advantage over them. Jason must cover his back, because  
1\. There is no one on whom Tim trusts more for that task.  
and 2. It was impossible that Jason didn't want to go if he knew Tim would leave with the most important role.

Take out the hard drive that was in an elegant capsule, a design that almost envy. Of course, they had fought a lot of thugs and villains to get to the core of the base, that's why they feel so relaxed when they get there.  
Which, if he thinks about it, is a beginner's mistake, because he's almost trusted. 

When you modify and redirect control of the entire system from your glove, it leaves you a surprise.  
Self-destruction of the base at will.  
\- We have it, Red. Call the others and we can leave here. Who knows, if we're lucky, we could find a couple of bottles of Coca-Cola in the supplies - It sounds a bit tired, but it's the least of their worries. In fact, Jason is surprised that this boy is still alive after so many fights.

Just as he was approaching Tim, watch a figure come out of the shadows. He knows that bastard.  
His actions turn in slow motion when he impales a knife in the abdomen of the blue-eyed. 

Hadn't Jason come to take care of Tim? To avoid such a ... heartbreaking situation?  
He found Deathstroke's dagger, Slade, embedded in the black sweatshirt and soft flesh that bled even when a gloved hand gripped the view where the blade stuck in it.

\- The Council thanks you for your participation in the game - said the subject with one eye.

Jason aimed when Tim fell to the ground, and shot before starting to run in his direction.  
Jason Todd was a shooter. Probably not the same as Deadshot, but it was quite close. And his goal was true.

The bullet pierced the skin and cracked muscles and veins when it landed on Slade's head. Before I could say another word, before I could think about attacking again. Before he could do more damage, before he could cross out another name on his list.

He forced himself to react by mere inertia, reaching Tim, cradling him in a comfortable and warm way. Tim had always been so small?

He stared hard at the stabbing wound that had caused him to lose so much blood in a few seconds. It's hurting, and that didn't even hurt him.  
Jason removed the hat from Tim's head, along with his domino mask, and brushed some strands from his forehead. He noticed that his sight was wandering, so it was a bad sign.

\- I knew ... - Tim says, his voice dragged and heavy. As if talking were the most painful thing in the world - That we would make it - Tim's free hand, clings to Jason's back, that terrifies him.

\- You didn't die in Paris- Sounds more angry than planned, he shouldn't bother Tim for bleeding, that seems a bit selfish - And you're not going to die now.

His voice caught, he caught his throat when he realized that Tim was not as old as many treated him. If he tries hard, he can swear he still sees the 15-year-old boy he met on a dirty city, in Gotham.

\- How bad is it? - Zatanna said suddenly by his side. He didn't even realize when she had reached where they were.

\- Perforated a large number of tissues and ... We need to move before doing something. Use a spell - Jason pressed, he knew that Zatanna's magic had an unimaginable rank, but he never wondered if she had memorized one for such an extreme situation.

\- I can't. The spell I know about healing is not enough.

\- Hey ... Jason?

\- What's up, Timbers? I know the position you are in hurts a lot. Just wait-

\- Liste-n... I wanted... t-to say... 

\- No, Tim. We are not doing this. Shut up and let me take you.

\- I'm sorry for failing. I w-would have liked... to do more t-things. 

\- I promise that I will take away all the pain. Hold on a little more. Please, could you do that for me?

\- It's not that, I ... Thank you. I wish I had done more for you ... As you did ... For me. A-and, I don't want to die. I don't want to die ... Here, not now. I am a-afraid of dying. But I spoiled it. Thank you for being ... The only one in the family who never abandoned me. You were the best person... brother... to ... me. 

It had been a cloudy September day.  
Victory had come to them, but at a very high price.

**Author's Note:**

> By the way, this post contains a couple of quotes from other writers, whose names I can't remember. But they're amazing, and they deserve the credit that my story doesn't look so miserable, so thank you.  
> Sorry if there are grammatical mistakes! English is not my mother tongue, but I am trying my best. I promise that I will improve, for now, enjoy this shot.
> 
> Tim is my favorite character, so stories like this with him as the protagonist are yet to come. I send you a lot of love!  
> I'm a big fan of the Wonderbird (Cassie / Tim) for the Young Justice series, but I also like the Jaytim. Not in a romantic way, I just love seeing them together. They are kinda my favorite bromance. 
> 
> I also love stories that include the post apocalypse or some cyberpunk / steampunk. Thank you for reading this, it makes me very happy to share what I like with beautiful people!  
> Edit: I just saw a post on Tumblr that said that when you want to tag a relationship of friends, siblings or whatever that is not romantic, you should use '' & '' and not a '' / '' so now I feel stupid for using the wrong one.


End file.
